Sure, everyone has their own special way of doing makeup. I don’t know about you, but I’m no pro—so when I’m putting on my face, there’s always a thought in the back of my mind that’s like, “Am I doing this right?” Honestly, if I could have a glam team on call at all times, I would because I definitely have very basic skills.

That’s what got me thinking… What are makeup artists’ pet peeves? What mistakes do they see people making every time that make them want to correct it ASAP? What makes them cringe? I mean, come on, even if you’re highly skilled, you’ve got to be curious, right? So I polled a few makeup artists about the most common mistakes they see people making plus their best makeup tips. Let me tell you some of their answers were very surprising.

Now, you’ll see that a lot of these below have to do with technique. When it comes to the kind of makeup you use or the looks you go for, do whatever makes you feel confident and beautiful. We’re not here to dictate how you wear your makeup. And the artists agree. “I feel like everyone has different styles and rituals around their makeup application, so technically there are no mistakes in makeup, but there are a few application techniques that just make life easier—some general makeup hacks if you will!” says makeup artist and groomer Christine Cherbonnier.